1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention generally relates to shoes, and more particularly to a shoe construction having increased flexibility.
2. Background of the Invention
The ideal shoe design attempts to incorporate the following essential features: comfort, lightweight, stability, support, flexibility, cushioning and shock absorption. Lightweight is an essential feature since it facilitates movement and minimizes fatigue of the wearer. Stability and support are necessary to provide proper foot support and to prevent injuries to the wearer. Flexibility allows the foot of the wearer to easily bend and move, thereby increasing comfort and reducing fatigue. Shock absorption and cushioning not only enhance comfort, but protect the human skeletal system from the adverse effects of the repeated impact forces encountered in walking, especially in hard heels. Fashion and style also influence the design of a shoe.
Prior attempts have been made to incorporate all of the features described above in shoe design. However, the attempts have generally been unable to provide the desired flexibility in the forefoot region while incorporating the other features.
The problems enumerated above are present in all shoes but are particularly acute in high heel shoes and even more acute in women's dress high heel shoes wherein the shoe construction is further limited by size and space constraints dictated by fashion. The need therefore exists for a shoe structure which effectively provides shock absorption, cushions the foot of the wearer, provides support and stability to the heel and midfoot portions of the foot and adequately accommodates the flexing of the forefoot of the wearer, while still satisfying the demands for comfort, fashion and style. Furthermore, the structure needs to lend itself to modern manufacturing methods.
One attempt to provide shock absorption in heeled shoes is found, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 1,724,349. This design provides a recess in the heel of the shoe for receiving a heel pad. However, such a construction fails to provide a strong lightweight structure for providing support to the arch and midfoot portion of the foot.
Many shoes utilize shanks and other supports for the midfoot portion of the shoe which are constructed of metal and plastic. However, none of the supports offer lightweight construction in combination with high strength. Furthermore, a smooth transition from the midfoot portion to the forefoot portion of the shoe is generally not provided, thereby decreasing comfort and stability.
Furthermore, many shoes that provide support in the midfoot portion of the shoe often provide only limited flexibility in the forefoot portion. For example, such designs often utilize a support that extends to the forefoot portion of the shoe or multiple layers in the forefoot portion that are coupled with adhesives, as shown in GB 1,093,363 and GB 917,582.
Accordingly, shoes especially high heel shoes, are deficient in meeting optimum or even acceptable levels of weight, stability, support, shock absorption, cushioning, flexibility and comfort. The present invention has satisfied these needs by providing a unique shoe structure having a lightweight, strong and stable support structure which incorporates a heel pad offering excellent shock absorption and having a smooth transition from the midfoot area to the forefoot area for a comfortable fashionable high heel shoe.